Mexican American Studies Mentor Program

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What Is the Mentor Program?

The MAS Mentor Program was established in Fall 2008 as an effort to increase student
success and retention rates in our department's lower-division general education courses.
Every semester, we pair one graduate student with each section of MAS 10A and 10B
(as well as some sections of MAS 74 "Public Speaking") in order to foster a greater
sense of community among the students and to facilitate an extended student-centered
learning environment in and out of the classroom.

Mentor Activities

The graduate mentors hold weekly office hours; lead study sessions; facilitate academic
skills workshops on note-taking and essay-writing; and organize community-building
activities, such as movie nights or field trips to local community events that relate
to class. In turn, the faculty guide the mentors, share a behind-the-scenes glimpse
into teaching at the college level, and even help them to develop a guest lecture
in the course.

Program Successes

The Mentor Program has been a great success! According to recent data, 93% of students
successfully complete the course with a grade of “C+” or higher, up from 85% before
the program came into existence. 97% of students report that working with the Mentor
was “somewhat to very helpful” in meeting their needs as students, and 89% find that
it was "somewhat to very important" to their overall performance in the class. As
a result, other departments in the College of Social Science are interested in adopting
the program we have created.

How to Get Involved

Graduate students who are interested in being part of the program should contact the
program director, Dr. Magdalena Barrera. We are always looking to hire dedicated, passionate students who can inspire and
support the undergraduates in our courses!